Does your Small Handmade Business Need Insurance?
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer by profession and nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice. Although I strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice or free from errors, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a…
Craft Fairs are Over – What to Work on Now
The rush is over, sales have slowed way down and you’re either panicking, wondering where everyone has gone, or you know there are ebbs and flows to every business season and that you can use this downtime to your advantage. When I worked in retail, January/February were painfully slow and it made it…
What you Must Know Before your First Craft Show
There are some handmade items that sell amazingly well at craft shows. If you sell a great handmade product and have been accepted to your first craft show, there are a few things to be aware of heading into it. I sold at craft shows for many years and had a lot of successes…
How to Grow your Newsletter at a Craft Show (& Make Sales After the Event)
Product – check, wicked display – check, business cards – check! You’re all set to attract, obtain and keep customers at a craft sale right? Weeeeell…there’s another important aspect that many people forget about that should become part of your craft show checklist. We know selling your product is your first choice. And if they don’t buy today then handing…
Craft Show Etiquette – What Organizers Expect
Our original article on Craft Show etiquette continues to be one of our most popular articles. So we thought we would expand on it and break it down a bit more to give you a really good look at what each category of craft show participator looks for from you. Here are our other etiquette articles: Craft Show…
Craft Show Etiquette – What other Vendors Expect
The original article on Craft Show etiquette continues to be a popular article so I thought I’d expand on it and break it down a bit more to give you a really good look at what each category of craft show participant might look for from you. Here are the other etiquette articles:…
Creative Swag Bag Ideas (shoppers won’t toss)
Swag bags are a good way for events to offer a perk to shoppers. They also give businesses that continue an item, a marketing opportunity. Unfortunately, they’re often filled with items shoppers won’t use, don’t necessarily want, and may end up tossing. Swag bag items should give you a return on investment….
What to do When your Prices are Too High
As covered in a previous article, lowering the prices of your products does more harm than good, but what do you do if you just can’t sell your products at the prices they’re at? If the time it takes you to make a product and the materials you use are pricing you out of the market, consider changing…
10 Reasons NOT to Complain about Handmade Prices
After writing and posting our article 10 Reasons to NOT to Lower the Prices of your Handmade Goods, I came across a comment on social media that made me think we need an article covering the reasons you should not make remarks about a vendor’s prices being higher than you would like…so we went ahead and put one together…
10 Reasons NOT to Lower the Prices of your Handmade Goods
How you price your products can make all the difference in whether your business is going to be successful or not. I’ll assume you’ve priced your products properly to cover your hours, costs, markup and profits (if not, follow this pricing guide). But if you’re going into your first craft show thinking “people won’t pay…
Retail Best Practices you can Use to Sell More at Craft Shows
If you walk into any retailer at the mall, you’ll find that almost all of them follow similar techniques when it comes to catching a shoppers eye, drawing them in and selling to them. Of course, you don’t want to follow exactly what large retailers are doing because you’re a small, independent, handmade business and much cooler than…
Why you’re Looking at your Craft Show Setup Wrong
While working on your craft show setup, you likely stand at the front, placing your items and creating your well-thought-out, tried and true display. Once you’re done, you stand back as though you’re going to snap a picture, focusing on the most important subject of the show: your booth. The Wrong Perspective…
10 Signs you Shouldn’t Apply to a Craft Show
If you have a product that your sure will be a bestseller at a craft show, then it’s time to start researching craft shows in your area. But it’s important to realize, before you start applying, not all craft shows are worth applying to. There are several factors that go into producing a good craft…
5 Craft Show Mistakes that Drive Shoppers Away
No one signs up for a craft show with the intention of alienating the shoppers but you may unknowingly be sending them away if they don’t feel comfortable. It’s important to have fun, be yourself and show pride in your work; that will always draw people to you. Here are 5 mistakes to watch for…
How Much Stock to Bring to a Craft Show – Calculations & Formulas
Determine how much stock to bring to a craft show using the calculations and formulas in this info-graphic. It’s an important question to ask yourself. Too much stock can leave you with leftovers that may be hard to sell once the season’s over, not to mention; added work of dragging them to and from the…
5 Reasons Handmade Businesses Fail
The success rate of small businesses isn’t great and we’d LOVE to see that improve. A successful business doesn’t thrive due to one factor; there are a lot of moving pieces that need to be in place and your business’ needs are constantly going to be changing. Be sure you do your research before you…
Laws you must Follow when Packaging Handmade Products
Do you package your handmade cream in a jar? Do you have the product name, volume and your business’ name and address clearly printed on each label? If not, you may be in violation of packaging and labeling laws. Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer by profession and nothing in this article should be…
Label Laws for Selling Handmade Clothing & Accessories
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer by profession and nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice. Although I strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice or free from errors, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a…
Farmers’ Market Etiquette for Shoppers
Farmers’ Markets are such a great way to get your shopping done for the week, discover local artists selling handmade goods and support local. They have a relaxed feel with friendly vendors, but as shoppers, we need to be sure we don’t take this relaxed feel too literally and are following common practices when it comes to etiquette….
Farmers’ Market Etiquette for Vendors
General craft show etiquette should be followed for Farmers’ Markets as well to ensure you’re giving the shopper a great experience and that you’re helping the event run smoothly for the organizer (read our article on Craft Show Etiquette here). But there are a few other courtesies to keep in mind when it comes to…